Polaris Institute

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The Polaris Institute is a Canadian think tank based in Ottawa. Its stated goal is "to help empower citizen movements towards democratic social change". It was formed in 1997 in response to its view that citizens were becoming politically disenfranchised in an age of corporate driven globalization.

The catalyst for the formation of the organization was the passing of two controversial trade agreements, the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement of 1989 and the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994.

The organization currently focuses its work on five projects:

The Public Service Project - Conducts critical research on some of the most powerful corporations and their aligned lobby groups.
Grassroots Globalization Project - Works with community based organizations both national and international to provide strategic and tactical support against what is seen as corporate-led globalization.
Bio Justice Project - Examines the relationship between corporations, biotechnology, and Canada's regulatory system.
Corporate Security-State Project - Examines a believed relationship between corporate globalization and a militarized security environment.
Water Rights Project - Conducts critical research and analysis of the world's largest water corporations and the developing privatization of water.